Twilight War Z
by enterprisealien
Summary: There has been a zombie outbreak throughout the world. After a few years on her own, will Bella and a few others survive? A mix of Twilight and World War Z.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I've been reading World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks and it's pretty good. And that's how I got this. **

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. The zombie-ness (the outbreak and panic and stuff) happens like in Max Brooks' novel...except I probably have fewer people surviving. **

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I stepped quietly across the forest floor. It's something you pick up after a while-how to move without making noise. Noise was dangerous. I paused, wiped my hands quickly, and drew the gun from my pants. All I knew about it was that it would be classified as a "handgun" and it did the job. It did the job well. I cocked my head, listening for the tell-tale moans and shuffling that meant danger. After ten seconds of silence, I knew it was safe. Those things wouldn't be quiet for so long. I tucked the gun back into my pants and continued on to my safe spot.

I had found it...well, I've lost track of time. It may have been as short as a month ago, but no more than three. I think. It had obviously been someone's storm shelter. Or bomb shelter. Or maybe they had built it to protect themselves from the current plague but still succumbed. It was stocked with bottled water and canned food. I didn't care about any expiration dates-I had no idea if they were past or not anyway. But I still tried not to depend on the goods. I could take care of myself anyway.

Three or four years ago (I _think _it's only been three) something happened. Something bad. People started acting strange. People were getting bitten, then collapsing, and then _they'd get back up_. They were slower, violent, strong...zombies. Seriously, who expects freaking zombies? I can't remember where it started, or when it got really serious, but I remember the reports. You had to destroy the brain to kill them. And for God's sake, don't get bitten.

I pulled the door open, slipped inside, then shut it. I pulled a lock across the door-one of those metal bars that latches into the wall. It helped me sleep. Not much-but enough. I stood for a minute-allowing my eyes the chance to adjust, then I lit a candle. The shelter wasn't big, but it could hold another person or two. There was a wide cot, a few blankets, and shelves with food and water. It was all concrete. But that was good. It was like summer now. The concrete kept the building cool. I pulled my book put from under the cot and started reading by the candle light.

This was one of the reasons I still ventured out. I had to do something to keep my sanity. Reading helped. I could imagine myself there, with people. People were the other reason. I knew a lot of people were...zombies. Or just dead. But I refused to believe I was alone. I couldn't be the only one. I just...couldn't.

A bang on the door roused me from the book. In an instant, I was up, gun drawn, aimed at the door, average head height. I waited for the moans. They didn't come. Something I never expected to hear again came instead.

"Please, if you're in there, open up!" a muffled voice shouted. "They're getting close!" Another voice screamed.

I slammed the lock back, pushed the door open, grabbed an arm, pulled in two people, and slammed the door shut again. I slid the lock home, and turned to look at the two. One was a man about my age, or a few years older. The other was a young girl.

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**So, let me know if you like it. I'm going to do my best to update quickly.**


	2. Flashback 1: Panic

**AN: Just figured I'd say this: some chapters are going to be flashbacks so the initial outbreak and panic can be told. This is the first. **

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"Bella, sweetie, you need to wake up." I heard my mom say. I heard the news on in the background, and Phil muttering to himself.

"What's going on?" I asked, only partially awake.

"We're leaving. It's just not safe anymore. There have been six outbreaks already in Phoenix. We're going to go somewhere safe." my mom was almost ranting.

"And where is safe?" I asked. "Outbreaks are happening everywhere."

"We're going north." Phil said. "Those things don't do so well in the cold. And it's cold in the north."

He did have a point. It was late November now. There would be snow and ice further north. And reports had been saying that the infected froze. Just froze. Because they didn't have blood flowing to keep them warm.

We packed that day. Clothes, lots of them. And blankets. I managed to slip a few books in some of the bundles. And food, but all canned. And water. Phil had started stocking up on gas early on-back before the outbreaks in the US started. He also had a gun, with ammo. I hoped he didn't have to use it. My mom and I had hatchets. I really hoped I didn't have to use that. Apparently the only way to kill these things was by destroying the brain. All reports stressed that.

We left the next. A lot of people were. We just joined the crowd.

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**My next update will be as soon as I can get a chapter written. I swear!**


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: I wanted to thank anyone who put this on an alert or favorite or reviewed. It seriously made my day :)**

**Disclaimer: The 'lobotomizer' is not mine. It is from World War Z. I just really wish I had one ;) **

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"Who are you?" I asked. My voice was shaky from not being used in so long. I didn't lower my gun. Just because they were alive didn't mean they weren't bitten. Or that they could be trusted.

"My name is Edward Masen. This is Alice. I found her a few months ago. Who are you?" he moved slow, obviously noting that I still had my gun out. He sat Alice down and, at a nod from me, wrapped her in a blanket.

"Bella Swan." How odd it was to be talking again. "Have you met any other survivors?" I asked.

Edward shook his head and winced as we heard the moans just outside. "Alice was the first person I'd seen in close to two years. You?"

I glanced at Alice. She was watching us carefully, but looked scared. I figured sooner or later Edward and I would have to have a talk about our stories. But that would have to wait until she couldn't hear. "You two are the first in...a long time." I took a deep breath. "Are you wounded?" _Please say no_. I silently begged. If they were, I'd have to kill them, and I wanted someone to talk to.

"No. You can check us if you'd like."

I tucked my gun away. I crouched in front of Alice. "You can sleep on the cot." I told her with a smile.

She smiled back. As soon as she was tucked in, she fell asleep, even through the sounds from outside. I turned to Edward. "Shirt." was all I said.

He pulled it off, and I held the candle up to check him for any bites. There were none. Although, on a side note, he was very good looking. He had a lean body, and was slightly too skinny from poor nutrition over time, but he was still well muscled without being bulky. I nodded and stepped back.

"Done so soon?" he asked.

I grinned. "If you had a bite, you wouldn't ask." my grin faded as I remembered all the people who denied being infected, only to be found out by the dogs. "You should sleep." I nodded towards the cot. "I'll stay up to make sure they don't get in."

He nodded, looking like he hadn't had a decent sleep since all this began. Which could be true as far as I knew. "Wake me up in a while and I can watch."

I nodded, though I knew, and he probably did as well, that I wouldn't. I couldn't sleep with them just outside, and I couldn't sleep with two strangers around. I would be lucky to doze.

I heard a creak and stood quickly, pulling my gun out. Needless to say, I was a bit embarrassed when I saw it was just Edward sitting up. And the light from the small vents at the top of the shelter suggested it was now early morning. It had been evening when Edward and Alice arrived. I guess I did sleep.

"Sorry." I said, placing the gun on a nearby shelf. The zombies had been around for about an hour after Edward fell asleep. I continued to stay awake, listening for any noise, but I still managed to doze off.

I looked over the cans, looking for something that could be counted as 'breakfast'. I gave up and grabbed some canned peaches. I opened it, and handed it to Edward, who had just woken Alice. She seemed very happy at the idea of eating fruit, and drank all the juice when Edward told her to. I handed Edward another can for him, and opened some fruit of my own.

"There's a stream about ten minutes away. The current is gentle, and it's zombie free." I said. "I have some washing to do today." I gestured at a small pile of clothes.

Edward smiled. "We'll tag along. It's been a while since I could clean up, and I don't know when Alice last bathed either. You wouldn't happen to have a knife or a razor blade around here, would you?" he asked, rubbing his beard. Guess he didn't like it.

I handed him a knife. "Do you have any weapons?"

Edward smiled widely. "Yeah. It's outside."

A short while later, I had my things in a pack, and my gun in it's usual spot in my pants. Edward opened the door and stepped out. Alice and I followed. I froze when I saw what Edward picked up.

"What is that?" I finally asked. It looked like a shovel...with the edges looking like a battle-ax blade.

"This is a lobotomizer." Edward said, speaking almost reverently of his weapon. When I didn't say anything, he sighed. "I guess you weren't in any cities when they started production." He and Alice fell into step behind me, moving just as quiet as I did. "The army came up with the idea. They work pretty well. More reliable than guns." He said pointedly.

"Only if you want to get bitten." I retorted. "I can brain a zombie at max range." We were silent the rest of the way. When we arrived, I had to grab Alice to keep her from running into the water. "Wait a second!" I hissed.

She looked shocked for a second, then realization dawned. "Sorry." she whispered.

"It's okay." I said as I stepped toward the stream. The water was clear and shallow. No zombies. "It's clear." I said.

Alice and Edward both bathed as I stood with my gun drawn. When they finished (Edward now as beardless as he could be without cutting himself) I handed Edward the gun so I could wash my clothes and myself. In practically no time, we were heading back. I wondered if Edward knew how long it had been since everything started.


	4. Flashback 2: Gun Lessons

We drove north for a week. We were somewhere in Canada when Phil decided we were far enough. We had seen a lot of camps along the way, and Phil and Mom were hoping we'd be able to join one.

After a few hours, we found a group of around twenty people. They agreed to let us stay with them-the more guns the better. But it wasn't only the weapons. Everyone in the camp contributed something. One family had a dog. That was a big thing. Dogs and the infected do not mix well. Another had a bb gun pistol. Bb guns couldn't take down a zombie, but it at least helped teach people how to shoot without wasting ammo. They welcomed us when they found out we had books.

"Hi. My name's Jacob." a boy roughly my age said. He was the only one close to my age, and he looked as though he could be anywhere from two years younger than me to two years older than me.

"Bella." I replied.

Jacob and I became friends. He was the owner of the bb gun, so when he offered to teach me to shoot one day, about two weeks after my family's arrival, I decided to take it.

"Widen your stance a bit...there. Now, grip the gun with both hands, it'll help keep your aim steady. Only use one finger on the trigger. Now, is the safety on?"

"Umm..." I pulled the trigger. "Yes." I said when I couldn't fire.

"Release it." he said when I didn't make a move.

"Right." I blushed. I pushed the safety off, then resumed my stance.

"Can you sight the target."

"Well, I'm looking at it, and I think I'm aimed at it..." I was actually pretty nervous.

"Pull the trigger then. Let's check your aim."

I pulled the trigger, and my eyes flinched shut.

Jacob whistled. "Damn, Bella. Remind me not to piss you off. That was awesome. Are you sure you've never shot before?"

"Pretty sure, yeah." I replied, opening my eyes to see how I did. A few yards in front of me was a tree where Jacob had carved a 'zombie head'. I stared in shock. There, in the middle of the 'forehead' was the shot. "Wow." I said. "You're a good teacher, Jake."

He shook his head. "No, I think you're a natural."


	5. Chapter 3

We settled back in as Edward closed the door. He didn't lock it, though. Zombies weren't exactly smart enough to open doors.

"How old are you?" I asked. Alice had me sit on the cot so she could play with my hair. It had grown a bit since my mom had cut it...

"I'm twenty-three." Edward replied. "Alice is around twelve. What about you?"

"I was eighteen when outbreaks started in the US late September early October, and my birthday is in September. I lost track of time otherwise..." I grimaced slightly as Alice tried to finger comb my hair. There were quite a few tangles. A decent brush has been on my 'to find' list for ages.

"Then you're almost twenty-one." Edward said.

I stared at him. "Seriously? Seems like it's been longer." I sat quietly for a moment. "Where are you from?"

"Chicago." he replied. "Outbreaks there started in October. We tried setting up voluntary patrol systems. A lot of us college students joined. It worked, sort of, for a while. The lobotomizer was developed around January, but things in Chicago went bad in the spring. The infestation had been bad before winter since it was a city, but everything went to hell when it got warm." he stopped.

I figured he had some bad memories. He may have even had to deal with the same things I had. "I'm from Phoenix. Things actually didn't start happening until November there. But after six outbreaks, my mom and step-dad decided to move us north. We found a camp in Canada, a small one. Things were good because it was already pretty cold. But, like everywhere else, things went to hell in the spring." I clenched my hand and fought back tears at the memories. "What about you, Alice?"

She shrugged at my question. She had given up on getting tangles out of my hair and was now trying to braid it. "I don't remember." she said.

"I found her south of here. Where is here, anyway?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I figure southern Canada or northern US. Apart from that, no idea."

We lapsed into silence again. It was actually kind of strange, sitting here in the candlelight with other people. Edward's odd bronze hair looked redder from the flame, and his green eyes looked almost black. Alice looked almost sickly pale. If I hadn't been able to see earlier that she didn't have any bites, I might have been uncomfortable with her. Her black hair, in contrast, looked vibrant.

I stood rather abruptly. I didn't say anything, just opened the door and walked out. I paused before closing it. "I'll be back in a while." I muttered then pulled the door shut. I needed to be alone for a while. Looks like I needed to get used to being around people again. I had been shy enough before, and it looked like right now that trait was coming back.

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**So this was pretty much setting up their basic stories. I will eventually have all their stories told...at least for Bella and Edward. Alice doesn't remember. And please review! I'd love to hear what you think of the story, even if you think it's crazy.**


	6. Flashback 3: Valentine's Day

"Seriously, Jake, what are we doing?" I asked as I followed my friend through the snow.

"Seriously, Bella, quit asking." he replied in a teasing voice. "Do you know what today is?" he asked suddenly, completely serious.

"Umm...Monday?" I asked. I actually had no idea. I knew it was February, and the month was about half gone. Oh. "Damn it Jake, it's Valentine's Day, isn't it?"

He smiled broadly. "Yup." _AND _he sounded smug.

I slapped his arm as I walked past him. "You're impossible, you know that, right?" I said with a smile on my face. I really did like Jake, even if he was only sixteen. Like it really mattered when everyone was turning into zombies. "So, where are you taking me?"

He walked past me again, smiling. "You'll see when we get there." he said.

"I hate surprises." I muttered as I followed anyway.

"Oh, all right!" he exclaimed. He quickly walked back to me and shocked me by kissing me. "That's what your surprise was." he said quietly when he pulled away.

I smiled. "Well, I liked it."

"Seriously?" he asked.

I nodded, blushing furiously.

"So, Bella, will you be my Valentine?" he asked, looking incredibly nervous.

"Yes. Now was there a specific place you wanted me to see, or were you just going to walk and try to build up your courage along the way?"

He laughed. "The second part. But why don't we walk around and see if we can find anything?"

I smiled. "Okay."

Jake and I continued walking for another hour, for the most part just talking, but he managed to steal a few kisses as well. We didn't find anything, not even a frozen zombie. I was starting to hope things might be normal here.

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**Aww...cuteness. Please review if you like it or have any comments/questions or whatever.**


	7. Chapter 4

**Wow...seven chapters in three days. I haven't been able to get this out of my mind at all. I hope you're enjoying this. I'm having a lot of fun writing this. I've got things pretty well planned out in my mind. I don't know how much longer it will be...but it'll be a while still. **

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I wasn't quite certain where I was going. I had a vague destination in mind, but really, I just needed to get away and _think_. I knew, really deeply knew, just how bad it would be for me to get attached to Alice and Edward. I can survive on my own, so I don't _need_ any other people. If anything, more people means more danger. But I also knew, now that I know there are other people out there, that I _can't_ be alone. Not anymore.

I wasn't too surprised when I wound up at the house I assumed the owner of the shelter had also owned. It was a small two story building, and I knew it was safe...at least the second story was. I climbed the tree right across from a window, then carefully maneuvered my way in. It was the only way I knew I'd be safe in the building. When I found the house, I had cleared it of zombies, then destroyed the staircase. Now the second story would be safe, and I could think as much as I wanted to without having to worry.

I settled down in the middle of a room, and just sat. I thought about all the reasons I should leave. Edward and Alice were obviously a package deal. Something told me Edward would never leave a child. Granted, I liked to think that I wouldn't either. But I've done some things since this started that I wasn't proud of, and I knew, real deep down, that if I had to, I would be able to. And someone like Alice...she was fragile. At least that's how she appeared. I knew she couldn't be, after all Edward said he only found her a few months ago. But she was small, and probably slowed him down. So because of that, they needed the shelter more than I did. It had food, water, and was fairly safe. I could show them all the nearby things and leave.

But then I thought about why I shouldn't leave. I was honest enough to admit that I didn't want to leave the only people I'd seen in close to two years. Did I think any extra dangers would be worth it? Not necessarily, but they were _alive_ and they were _real_.

Then my final reason: could I let myself get close to these people? I knew what would eventually happen. They'd leave in some form or other. Perhaps they'd get bitten. Perhaps they'd leave. Perhaps I had finally gone insane and they were just a figment of my imagination. God I hoped that wasn't it.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been there when I finally stood, but I had my answer. I'd stay. I'd let myself get close to them. I'd see what happens. And, deep down, I'd let myself hope.

I was halfway back to the shelter when I heard it. Shuffling feet and quiet moans. _SHIT!_ Was my oh so eloquent mental response. I drew my gun and put my back against a tree. I held my breath and listened. The sound was coming from my right, and as I listened, I heard it getting louder, and then another voice joined it. _Shit_. I thought again. I knew I had to act fast. I turned toward the sound, spotted the movement, aimed, and fired. I watched it fall and sighted the other. I aimed carefully and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

Then I remembered that I had forgotten to reload my gun yesterday. And that I didn't have any ammo with me. "God damn it!" I whispered.

I spun and ran. The good thing about zombies is that they're slow. Quite frankly, I could probably power walk and escape them. I made it back to the shelter in record time, and cursed when I realized it was empty. I reloaded quickly and ran back out. I just hoped I'd be in time this time around.


	8. Flashback 4: Jacob

The winter finally passed with a few unfortunate deaths. Luckily nothing zombie related. They were just old and it had been too hard on them. Jake and I were now a solid couple, and truth be told, I was secretly happy about the outbreak, because it meant meeting him.

"So, Bella, what do you want to do today?" Jake asked. As far as we had kept track, today was the spring solstice.

I shrugged. "I'm up for anything. But Mom says we need to remember weapons whenever we go out now. Zombies are starting to revive and all that."

He nodded. "Wanna go to our spot?" Our spot was a small spot by the nearby lake. It had a fallen tree right at the edge of the woods that we used as a bench.

"Yeah, alright." I replied.

We grabbed our weapons and headed out. We had been sitting and talking for a while when we heard them. We both paled as we looked at each other, then at the woods behind us. Suddenly, our spot didn't look like such a good spot anymore.

"Bella, when I tell you to, I want you to run to camp, alright?" Jake sounded serious and his expression was grim.

"What are you talking about? I'm not going to leave you here alone! We both make a run for it. We'd be able to out run them!" I was panicking. I knew Jake was trying to buy me time, but that was just stupid.

"Do it Bella." We both stared at each other. I knew I was going to lose. Slowly I nodded. "I love you, Bells." he said. "Now go."

I ran, tears pouring down my face. I had to get back to camp, alert everyone, and get back to Jake fast. I had heard more than one, but no more than five. Jake was a smart fighter. He'd be okay.

I made it back in record time, without tripping at all, and grabbed a few others. They knew what my expression meant.

When we made it back to where Jake was, there were two corpses on the ground and two other zombies trying to get him.

It was over fast, thanks to the backup. As we walked back, I noticed Jake wincing and trying to hide the fact that he favored one leg. I figured he had twisted his foot, so I didn't say anything.

When we got back to camp, though, the dog went nuts. It's owner pulled it away. "Alright." he said slowly, looking pained. "Each of you come here one at a time."

I went first. The dog didn't react to me. Then the other guys walked by. Nothing. Only Jake was left. I started crying again. The dog barked and growled at him as he approached.

"I'm fine!" he exclaimed when people faced him silently. "The dog's nuts! See?" he pulled his shirt off, showing that his torso was free of wounds.

"What about your legs?" the dog owner asked.

Jake looked away. "I'm fine." he said.

"Then prove it."

Jake sighed. Slowly he raised his pant leg to reveal a bite. I cried harder. A group of men, including Phil, started talking.

I walked up to Jake and hugged him. "You should have run with me." I sobbed.

"I know, Bells. I know." he hugged me back. "I wasn't lying when I said I loved you."

"I know, Jake. I love you, too."

Phil walked up. "You need to come with us." he sounded sorry.

"I love you Bella." Jake whispered one final time before kissing me. Then he turned and left.

I cried the rest of the day. I refused to talk to Phil, or any of the men that had taken Jake away. No one told them they hadn't gone far enough before they shot him. And no one was surprised when Billy, Jake's father, gave me their gun-their real gun-and left two days later.

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**Ok, please don't hate me. I'm sorry. I really do like Jacob, but this is actually important. Really. **


	9. Chapter 5

It was while I was running through the woods that I realized I had no idea where Alice and Edward could have gone. I decided to stop and try to hear anything. Luckily (or not) zombie moans carry. While a good warning, they tend to attract more as well. I heard something after a minute-but something that made my blood run cold. Alice screaming Edward's name.

I ran blindly towards her voice. My mind stuck between imagining zombies converging on Alice and Edward and memories of Jake. I found them in a small clearing, a perfectly round meadow, as I would remember later, but I was concentrating on seeing Edward swing his weapon and take out a zombie. That brought my gun back to mind, and I pulled it out, quickly dispatching the final two.

"Thanks." Edward panted, looking rather relieved.

I turned to face him, keeping my gun up. I noticed Alice was in a tree and Edward had his back against it. "You had better prove to me right now that you're clean." I said, my voice sounded strange. I supposed I was trying to sound threatening.

Edward sighed and pulled off his shirt. "Happy?" he asked.

I remembered Jake. "Walk forward." I watched as he took a few steps. No limp.

"Is there a purpose to my walking?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"You aren't limping." I stated, and even I could hear the relief in my voice.

"Oh. Right." Edward's voice was soft. He walked back to the tree, tugged his shirt back over his head, and held his arms out to help Alice out. "We went for a walk. I heard gunshots, but couldn't remember how to get back, so I had Alice stay in the tree. So, got anything to show us?" Edward asked, trying to sound casual, but his grip on the lobotomizer tightened as he picked that up.

I walked up to him, proving I wasn't limping, handed him my gun and pulled my shirt off, turned once, and then pulled it back on. "Nope." I replied, taking my gun back. "Come on. I think we've had enough fun for one day."

"Who limped?" Edward asked as soon as we were safely back in the shelter.

I ignored him as I lit the candle and pulled my book out.

"Edward, will you tell me a story?" Alice asked.

"Sure. What do you want to hear?"

"Cinderella!" Alice exclaimed.

I pretended to read as I watched Edward tell Alice the story, the Brother's Grimm version, not the Disney one. I smiled slightly as he even tried to give each character their own voice. I smiled as Alice drifted off to sleep.

"The only way I could get her to sleep after finding her was by telling her a story." Edward said with a smile as he placed a blanket over her. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to pry."

"It's okay." I said quietly. "His name was Jacob. He was two years younger than me. We met in the camp, and quite frankly, the age difference didn't matter. He taught me how to shoot, only to claim I was a natural. He asked me to be his Valentine." I felt the tears form in my eyes. "We had a spot. It was near the lake. It was a bad spot strategically. He told me he loved me and had me run back to camp. I was too late." Tears were streaming freely down my face now.

Edward sat down against the wall next to me and just held me as I cried.

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**And a little "aww..." moment there at the end.**


	10. Flashback 5: Phil

**Okay, the mention of the CA thing is actually a part of WWZ. **

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The camp broke up shortly after Jake's death. People just couldn't stay. I couldn't stay, that was for sure. And all those who had had a part in it...no one could really talk to them. It's been two months and I still haven't said a word to Phil. Right now, the three of us are trying to head southwest. There was a rumor that a large group was going to try to defend a college campus in California...hopefully they've been successful.

Phil finally got a fire started as we ate. "Bella..." he began, sounding unsure. "We only meant to have Jacob leave. He asked us to...well...fire. He didn't want to turn into one of them. He said he'd rather be put out of his misery then than become a zombie and possibly hurt you."

I could feel the tears going down my face again. I don't think I've ever really stopped crying since it happened. I don't know if I ever will.

"Sweetie..." my mom began, but then froze. All of us did as we heard it. It was loud, and there were a lot of them.

"I want you girls to run away. Bella, take this." Phil said, handing me his gun. He picked up a few hand weapons. "Go. Now." He ran towards the noise.

I grabbed my mom before she could follow. "Mom, Phil knows what he's doing. Just like how Jake knew. He's protecting those he loves." I started pulling her behind me.

"I just wish I could tell him I loved him one more time." she whispered as we began to run.

"I know, Mom. I wish I had told him I understand."

We ran for a long time, only stopping when the only thing we could hear was our labored breathing and our hearts pounding. And when we did stop, we cried.


	11. Chapter 6

I woke up feeling disoriented, with light in my eyes. The last thing I remembered was crying in Edward's arms last night, and now I was waking up on the cot. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. My eyes quickly focused on the source of light. Edward had opened the door and was leaning against the frame. Judging by the light, it was early morning. Which meant I had slept most of yesterday, seeing as it had only been early afternoon when we came back.

I grabbed a bottle of water, taking a mental note that those were beginning to run low, and joined Edward. "Morning." I said quietly. Alice was still asleep on the cot.

"Morning." Edward said back.

"Does she always sleep so much?" I asked, gesturing behind me.

"She woke up shortly after you fell asleep. We stayed here and then she fell asleep again after we ate."

I nodded. "I'm sorry for losing it yesterday."

"Don't be. Bella, your reaction in the clearing was perfectly normal."

I snorted. "Right. Well, I'll try to remember that threatening people is perfectly normal."

Edward sighed. "You know I stayed in Chicago until it was declared lost, right? Do you know what it took for people to do that? The place was overrun by the dead. It was me and four others when we learned Chicago was a lost cause. There could have been more, we weren't sure. It was just my patrol group. I assume there were more. We had been evacuating for three weeks, and hadn't found anyone alive in two." he took a deep breath. "And I know about people you care about getting infected. Those people were family. And I had to watch as one by one they died. We were very skittish as time went on. Anytime someone disappeared from sight for a second, we assumed the worst." It was silent for a minute. "Trust me, I'll tell you if I get bitten." he suddenly said. "I'll ask you to kill me first."

I shook my head. "I'm not killing anyone human." I took a deep breath to calm myself. "But, when the change is done, I will. But only if you promise the same."

He nodded. "Okay."

I had to shake my head at the absurdity of it all. Here we were, promising to kill each other's zombies if it came to that. "Did you grow up in Chicago, or were you there for school?" I asked.

"Both, actually. I was a pre-med student. And you in Phoenix?"

"High school senior so I obviously lived there." I paused. "Does Alice really not remember anything?" I asked, glancing back at her.

"Her name. Her ninth birthday party, which is why I'm guessing she's around twelve. Other than that, she hasn't said anything helpful."

"Did you ever hear about California?" I asked. He had stayed in civilization longer, maybe he knew if the rumors we had heard were true.

He nodded slowly. "Yes. But I don't know if they're still there. Or how to get there."

"We should go." Alice said. "Not now," she continued as we stared at her, "but soon. We'll know when."

"Okay." Edward said.

"Seriously?" I asked him as she got herself a drink, too.

He nodded. "It was her idea to come here. She said she 'saw' us here with someone. Obviously you."

I chose not to say anything about the possibility of Alice seeing the future. After all, stranger things have happened.


	12. Flashback 6: Mom

Mom and I now figured it was summer. There were constantly zombies everywhere now. I had had quite a bit of ammo, but was running low. That's how we found ourselves here in a city. We were going to search stores and any closed homes for ammo. Closed homes because those would be clear of zombies...unless the owners barricaded themselves inside before turning.

"Okay, Mom, I'll be right back out. Keep the gun out and up. Remember, aim high. If you miss, keep firing. I'll come running." I said as I prepared to enter our latest stop. It looked promising.

She nodded, but looked nervous. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. But I need you to make sure our exit isn't blocked." I headed into the store.

I had hit a jackpot. I had managed to fill my pack with ammo when I heard a bunch of shots. Quickly, I hoisted my bag and ran out. If nothing else, this stupid plague had made me stronger, faster, and more graceful. I found my mom crying and a body at her feet.

"Did you get the head?" I asked. She nodded. I smiled. "Good job."

She shook her head and held an arm out. My breath caught and I started crying, too. "Bella, you're going to have to..."

"NO!" I shouted, not caring that that would attract more. "No, Mom." I sobbed. "I can't do that."

"Bella..."

I stubbornly shook my head. "No. I'm not." I grabbed her hand and we made it back to where we had made a temporary camp. We had found an empty car with all windows intact, and no former occupants still inside. "We'll just..." I tried to think. "We'll...we'll..."

"Bella." she said softly. "Why don't we make the most of my days?"

I nodded, crying freely.

The next three days were bittersweet. I kept expecting her to go into the coma the reports had said all the infected did before they awoke as zombies. We did a few things. We had found scissors and make-up in a house, so she insisted we cut our hair and do make-overs. I had her cut mine to my ears, so it would be easy to deal with.

On the third morning, she didn't wake when I shook her. I cried and got my gun out. We were both outside the car, and I sat a few feet from her. "I love you, Mom. So much. I miss Jake, and Phil. And I'm going to miss you even more. You're my best friend as much as my mom. I love you."

Her body stirred. I watched as the body got to it's feet and stared at me with vacant eyes. "I love you." I said one final time before pulling the trigger.

* * *

**Okay, so now that I've explained why Bella is all alone...her flashbacks are done. However, I am going to tell Edward's past as well. So the next flashback chapters will be in his POV, but otherwise the story is still in Bella's POV. **


	13. Chapter 7

"So, Alice, when are we leaving for sunny California?" I asked as we were out walking. After what happened yesterday, I decided she and Edward needed to know their way around.

She shrugged. "We'll know when."

I was showing them various routes to all of my 'spots' when we heard loud cursing and movement. I'm pretty certain we all froze. After all, I hadn't seen anyone for two years until two days ago, and Edward and Alice have only been with each other for a few months before that. And now we're hearing _another _person? Maybe there are more survivors than I thought.

Edward reacted first. He started toward the voice, which was definitely masculine, and reminded me of the South. Alice and I followed in a daze. I only drew my gun out of habit.

We found a tall youth who was staring intently at a map. He didn't even notice us.

Alice walked right up to him. "You've kept me waiting." she stated accusingly.

"Sorry." he replied after a moment's hesitation. "I didn't realize I was expected."

Suddenly, Alice's visions made a lot more sense.

"I'm Jasper Whitlock." he continued. "I'm healthy."

"I'm Alice." she smiled up at him. I shook my head with a small smile. It looked like someone was crushing on the new boy.

"I'm Bella, and this is Edward. Where are you from? And why do you have a map?" I mean, that was the most random item to have.

"I'm from Texas. And the map is to help get to California."

"Really?" Edward exclaimed. "Then the campus survived? It's still there? The people are still there and alive?"

Jasper shrugged. "Last I heard, yeah. About five of us still had a radio about a year and a half ago. Messages were relayed that it was still safe and everyone was still there."

Edward seemed relieved.

I rolled my eyes. "Alright. Let's go back to the shelter. We'll come up with a plan to get there once we figure out where here is, okay?"

Alice nodded. "Yeah, that's it exactly." She grabbed Jasper's hand and began dragging him back, Edward and I falling into step behind them.

"How old do you think he is?" I asked.

"I'd say fifteen." he paused. "Alice has it bad."

"Real bad." I replied. "Did you have family at the campus? Or friends? I don't mean to pry..."

"My cousin and his wife. They planned on sticking it out."

"This is so weird." I said, mostly to myself.

"What is?"

"All this. After what happened at the beginning..." I took a few breaths. "Maybe I'll tell you the whole story one day. But now, I've met three people in just as many days. It's...strange."

Edward shook his head. "No. It's not. I don't think this is strange at all. I do think that this is...something too good for words. I actually feel hopeful." He gave me a wide, crooked smile that made me weak at the knees. "There may actually still be something worthwhile."

"Yeah." I watched as Alice stumbled and Jasper caught her arm to steady her. "Maybe there is."

* * *

**Yay for Jasper! My updates during the week may not be everyday anymore. I'm going to have a lot of work since it's the end of the quater, but I have two 4-day weekends coming up where I should be able to do a lot of work on this!**


	14. Flashback 7: News

**And so here we have the first of Edward's flashbacks! **

* * *

"Good morning, Chicago!" _What the hell...? _"It's seven o'clock and time for the world news report. A viral outbreak is under investigation in China..." _Damn alarm. _I brought my hand down hard on the snooze button, then felt around the alarm clock and turned the alarm off, and fell back asleep.

I actually woke up two hours later at nine. It was my first day of summer break after my second year at the University of Chicago, and since I didn't have to work today either, I had slept in. _I just wish next time I wouldn't set alarm. _I wandered into the kitchen to find some breakfast and found my cell phone beeping. I had six missed calls (five of which had left messages), and seven texts.

Two of the messages and three of the texts were from Tanya. I erased those without listening or reading them. I had another text from my cousin Carlisle, asking if I had heard about China. And a message from his wife, Esme, asking the same. _What are they talking about? _My other texts and messages from various friends all asked the same thing. Right. To the TV and CNN.

I started watching, and immediately forgot about breakfast. There was an outbreak of something in China and some neighboring countries, and they had video. It was...impossible to describe. Horrifying, disgusting, and you just couldn't look away.

My phone rang. I answered without looking. "Hello?" I said absently, still staring intently at the TV.

"You've seen the news, then?"

"Yeah. Carlisle, what the hell is this?"

"No one knows."

I watched as the video showed someone firing straight into the attackers chest, only to have nothing happen until the stream of bullets hit the head.


	15. Chapter 8

The shelter, which I had thought could still house a few more people, seemed much more cramped with all four of us inside. We kept the door open, and that helped, but it still seemed much smaller now than it ever had before. I couldn't help but smile.

"We lived in a somewhat safe place in Texas," Jasper began as soon as we were settled. "I mean, nothing as large scale as the college idea, but it was still safe-ish. And we did have radio contact with other camps. But fewer people returned every week from raids. My friends and I thought it would be best if we came north, then went west in the winter, then make our way back south until we hit a safe zone."

"But, of course, that's where we had our problems. We couldn't always agree where we were, and got turned around easily. And then, sometimes they just sho....shocked us and disappeared." he changed his mind mid-word, glancing at Alice.

She stared at him with rapt attention. It sounded as though he had meant to say they had shot themselves.

I only half listened as he continued his story. He couldn't have been older than twelve or thirteen when this started. Still, he sounded like he knew what he was doing, despite his age. Edward asked a few questions about places Jasper had passed. But it was pointless. We were the first people he had seen for three months, since his friend Maria died.

So when he finished his story and Alice threw her arms around him in comfort, I wasn't really shocked. He was though, and was frozen for a second before he awkwardly put an arm around her as well. Then she pulled back, blushing madly.

"Umm..." Jasper pulled his map back out and unfolded it. "It's not a great map, kinda small, but the college site is properly marked, and most major roadways. So long as we can find something near here, we should be able to make the trip."

Edward studied the map as well. "I don't know where here is, but about two weeks ago, Alice and I passed this Interstate." He gestured to something on the map. I moved so I could see. "If we were to go to it, we could get to this highway here," more pointing, "and then we'd be able to follow roads to the colleges."

"I don't like that idea." I said. "Too many broken down cars on the roads. And a lot of them have the previous owners still in them, too stupid to get out. But in a lot of areas it's still an unbroken line of cars. Nothing on earth will get me on the roads."

"That's true." Edward conceded. "But we don't have to walk on the roads. We just need them as a guide. We can walk parallel to them or something." He paused and looked deep in thought for a moment. "Jasper, what weapons do you have?"

"I've got a gun. I'm down to my last few rounds though."

Edward sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "This is why I hate guns." he muttered.

"Oh, shut up." I said. "It's not that hard to get more ammo. There's a place about two hours from here with plenty. We can go tomorrow to stock up. I'd like to take as much as possible with us. I wouldn't worry about food. I'm assuming we all know how to find edible food. We should take some water, though." I began pacing a bit. "We should stock up on ammo, maybe try to find a few other hand weapons." I spared a glance at my new companions. "We should also be able to find some new things for you to wear. So I figure we should be able to leave in a week, we'd waste to much time waiting for winter."

"Sounds like a plan." Jasper said.

"Yeah, I'm in." Edward grinned.

"And me." Alice added.

* * *

**So, they have a plan! Yay. **


	16. Flashback 8: Patrols

Two weeks ago, it had been my twentieth birthday. Today, I was going to join one of the local patrol groups with my friends. It was so far sort of relaxed. There have only been three outbreaks, all contained, in Chicago. However, that didn't mean it all wasn't scary as hell. There were some more serious outbreaks in New York, and San Fransisco. Coastal regions, as the illness spread to the US.

Patrols were asked to be a minimum of four people, and we had four. James, Victoria, Laurent, and myself. We had met in classes, and while we weren't extremely close, we all got along. It was definitely better than the alternative of Tanya and some of her friends. Although, she had just said that they were going to a 'safe' location. But there was no way I'd do that. I had told Carlisle two days ago when he called, asking me to join him in California, that I was going to be in Chicago until the end. If it even got that far. So far, things were still calm. Most patrols were the 'reserve'. They weren't needed right now.

"It's important that when you are called up, you all stay together. If you do split up, you split into pairs. At least one person in each pair needs to be armed." The general instructor was a middle aged cop. We were in a large auditorium, and it was well filled. We listened for another hour as he lectured about the infected: their appearance, weakness (aim high was repeated again and again), and the fact that just because we may think we know them doesn't mean they're harmless.

"Okay. As you leave, make sure each group registers. We need first and last names, phone numbers, and an e-mail address would be useful as well."

We registered, and had (in our minds) everything planned out. Laurent and James would carry guns, and if we needed to, I would go with Laurent, and Victoria with James. Piece of cake.

* * *

**Again, I don't know when my next update will be. I don't have a lot of work to do tomorrow, but Wednesdays are always rather busy anyways. So, if I don't update tomorrow, there should be two more chapters by Thursday. **


	17. Chapter 9

"Okay, seriously, everyone just shut up and go to sleep." Yeah. Trying to sleep...not so fun with four people. Alice and I had the cot, no blankets though, as Edward and Jasper had confiscated them to sleep on the floor.

It was only silent for a minute before Alice started speaking again. "How long do you think it will take us to get there?"

Groans came from Edward and I, while Jasper asked (nicely) for her to try and sleep.

"Ow!" I was woken by a sharp nudge in my ribs.

"You were talking." Alice whispered.

"I talk in my sleep." I muttered.

"Wakey, wakey. Eggs and bakey!" Alice squealed in my ear.

I sat up and glared. Edward and Jasper were already up and had food. "Okay. New plan. You all can stay here for the night, I'm going to sleep in the house."

"What house?" Alice asked. I realized I hadn't told them about that. So I explained that while I grabbed a can of...something.

About an hour later, after making sure all three of them could find the stream, I was ready to take the trip to stock up. "I don't want all of us to go, it gets too risky. So who wants to come and who will stay?"

"I'll stay." Alice said. "And you should have Edward go with you. He can carry everything."

I smiled as he agreed, and Jasper agreed to stay with Alice in the shelter. "So Alice, was that so you could spend more time with Jasper?" I asked her as we fell behind the two boys.

"No." she replied. "It was so you could spend more time with Edward."

I froze for a second. Alice continued on, oblivious to the fact that I stared after them. Was she seriously trying to play matchmaker? I mean, on a totally physical level, I didn't mind. Edward was very good looking, and for reasons completely different than Jake. But Jake and I had been friends, and I barely knew anything about Edward. So was that why Alice said what she did, so that Edward and I could get to know each other? I snapped out of my thoughts and caught up with them.

Before Edward and I left, I made sure my gun was fully loaded, and made sure to take extra ammo as well.

"You'll know when we're back. After all, we'll be the one's knocking politely." I told Alice and Jasper.

"Yeah. Not to mention yelling for you to open the door before the things get us." Edward joked.

"That is not funny." I told him as we started walking.

"Sure it is." he replied with a shrug.

"It's what you were doing the other night."

"Bella, did you ever try to find humor in anything that's happened?"

I walked on, trying to get a grip before I shouted. That would be bad. "What is funny about your step-dad, amongst others, killing your boyfriend before he can turn? What is funny about him then giving himself so that you and your mom can make a run for it. And what the hell could ever be funny about shooting your mom just after she turned?" I seethed.

Edward was silent. "None of that is funny." he said after a few minutes. "But Laurent, my friend and partner...he joked about everything. It was a way for him to deal with stress. When he almost got bitten...did you ever watch the 'Crocodile Hunter'?" I nodded. "He used to do the accent and say things like 'Crikey! That was close!' and just...in general try to blow things off. Like they were no big deal."

"The things that happened were a big deal. You can't just say a few words and then, hey! Everything is alright because I just said something funny."

"I didn't suggest that you did. I was just asking if you ever tried to see humor. Like, this one time, just after we left Chicago, we found a bunch of them. Anyway, safest thing to do: run. So we did. We're plenty in front of the group, and James trips. He was perfectly fine. Scared senseless, but fine. Anyway, a few hours later, we decided to stop, and the first thing he says is 'You know, I can see the headline now. Master zombie killer trips over air'. We all needed something to laugh at, and usually the best thing was yourself."

I smiled. "You know, that sounds like it could be me. I was so clumsy before. Not so much anymore though. Too much practice."

We spent the rest of the trip in silence. I really hated going into anyplace that was once alive. It still feels a bit like stealing. Plus, zombies tend to congregate. Which is, naturally, potentially problematic. But Edward got that fact. When it was time to raid, it was...excellent. Go in, kill, grab, kill, get out. I was always on some adrenaline rush at these times, and Edward was too, judging by how he was handling that thing he called a weapon.

All in all, we were only out in the open for twenty minutes. A pretty decent time. We set a quick jogging pace back, easy enough to keep up, and fast enough to escape.

A little over four hours later, we were back. I knocked on the door. "Little kids, little kids, let me come in."

"No! You're supposed to say 'Not by the hair of our chinny-chin chins!" Alice exclaimed as Jasper pulled the door open.

I smiled. "Well, I'm glad he didn't. I don't think I could huff and puff and blow the house down."

Edward smiled at me. "See? Just a bit of humor helps." he told me as he passed me to enter.

* * *

**Please review. I mean, I can see that I've got a number of readers, but very few people reviewing. I like to see what people think of my writing, even if you don't like it. So...please? Hit the button?**


	18. Flashback 9: First Outing

"Seriously Carlisle. I'm not going to leave. Things are getting worse, yeah, but that's why I have to stay!"

"Will you at least be careful?" Esme's voice came over the phone. Guess she was on the other extension.

"Of course I will, Esme. Look, Our patrol goes out tonight. If it makes you feel better, I'll give you a call when I get back, okay?"

"Please do that. We'll talk to you then. But you're always welcome here. We've got a plan set up here."

I sighed. "I know, Carlisle. But I'm not leaving until I have to. If it even comes to that, anyway."

"Bye."

I hung up. Carlisle and Esme have not given up the idea of me joining them in California. But now it's September, and things are picking up. I can't just leave now, when our group finally got called up with a patrol schedule.

It was fairly simple, really. There was now a set curfew of ten-thirty, although if everyone could be in their homes by nine, it was appreciated. We just had to patrol the neighborhoods, check anyone who was wandering outside, and terminate any infected. I don't think any of us would like doing that.

In the morning, I was disappointed. Nothing had happened. We didn't see or hear anyone. I called Carlisle to tell him, and I could tell he was a bit more relaxed with the idea that there wasn't a big danger here. All the outbreaks that have occurred, while fairly numerous, had been easily contained. But to be completely safe, more and more patrols were being put out.

My phone rang as I was about to get some sleep. "There's been a serious outbreak. Twenty of them are wandering by the hospital. We're all supposed to group and get to our areas to get everyone inside." Laurent's voice carried a bit of excitement as he spoke quickly into the phone.

I jumped up and rushed out the door, texting Carlisle on the way so he would know.


	19. Chapter 10

**AN: I am SOOO sorry it has taken me forever to update! I had a history paper, an English essay, a bunch of readings, a huge German packet, a Biology lab and test, a failed Calculus test...it just wasn't a great time for me. Stupid school. So, here is the newest chapter!**

* * *

We were able to leave a few days later. We knew we would have to stay together for the first few weeks, until we reached the road Edward said he and Alice had passed. Then, well, it wouldn't really matter if we got separated. We had all memorized the route we were taking (to the point where I was saying it in my sleep), but we all knew we would stick together, no matter what.

Things were fairly quiet as we walked the first day. But we were (apparently) making good time. Edward was leading us south, and if it wasn't for the fact that I knew he was serious in his desire to get all of us to safety (one of our late night discussions had led to him admitting that he may feel like he had a hero complex-hence his desire to be a doctor), I would have assumed he had picked a random direction and started walking. But, he had told me he wasn't going to let anything happen to us. He was done with watching people die. I was too.

We had only stopped once every few hours for a few short breaks. I was fairly shocked at how well Alice was keeping up. I probably shouldn't be surprised, again, anybody as young as her that had survived on their own could handle trekking through woods, but she was just so small.

Those first two weeks were surprisingly good. Nothing bad happened. We shared watch during the night, usually Edward or I took most of the watch. Usually he would start, then wake me, and I would wake Jasper. Very rarely was Alice ever the one on watch in the morning.

"Here we are." Edward announced one day at midday. "We'll take a break, and then start following this west."

I nodded as I looked up at the highway above us. It was raised here, so we couldn't walk on it anyway. Jasper and Alice were already sitting down, talking about something.

"How are you holding up?" Edward asked.

"Fine." I replied. "We've been lucky. So far, no problems." And that actually kind of worried me. Murphy's Law and all that. "What about you?"

"I'm good. I know I probably shouldn't be, but I'm excited about seeing Carlisle and Esme again. But I don't even know if they're still alive."

"I wish I could say they are, but I can't." During our talks, he had told me so much about his cousin and his wife that I felt like I already knew them.

He smiled slightly. "Thanks. They'll love you."

Two weeks later, and we had determined that our trip was about a quarter way done. So we still had around three more months. Our encounters with the zombies were actually not that frequent. And even when they did occur, it was a small one. The largest attack had only been six. So I shouldn't have been surprised.

It was midday, and we had just recently started following our second highway. When we heard them...they were loud. There were a lot of them.

"Do you two remember the way?" I asked Alice and Jasper.

They nodded. I remembered that Jasper had the map anyway.

"Good. Now, run. Fast. Don't look back, just keep going. And don't stop until you can't hear anything, got it?" They nodded again. "GO!" They took off running, Jasper with a death grip on Alice's hand, pulling her along behind him.

"You should go, too." Edward told me.

"Not likely." I said grimly. I didn't want to leave him. Somewhere along the road, sharing stories with him, I had fallen in love with him. _If we're both alive at the end of the day, I'll kiss him_. I promised myself. _Or at least tell him._

Luckily, Edward didn't press the issue. I began pulling ammo out of my pack and shoving it into the pockets of my pants. "Ready?" he asked as I stood. I nodded. "Let's go kill us some zombies."

* * *

**IMPORTANT (okay, only _somewhat _important...it's a fic promotion...) My friend FlyingShadow09 and I are currently writing a new fic. It's going to be called "The Difference" and the summary is thus: "They say we are all connected, that we all change because of each other. Two girls learn the truth of this with the Cullens." It will be pretty good, and actually fairly amusing. So if you like humor (and trust me, when we get together to write things...well, we're both pretty amusing when we want to be, so us together is real amusing) put one of us on alert. We'll both be updating, and the first chapter should be up either late (probably real late) tonight or sometime tomorrow (which is much more likely).**


	20. Flashback 10: Alice

**I think there will only be two more chapters. Hopefully, I can have those up before the weekend, but I know I'm going to have a ton of homework the next few days...so it isn't set in stone. And again, I'd like to promote "The Difference" which I am writing with FlyingShadow09. The first chapter will be put up by both of us by tomorrow, and it'll be good. Some humor, some drama (although knowing her, a lot of drama...) so put one of us on alert if you're interested!**

* * *

"Dude, come on, we have to leave." Laurent called back to me.

He, his girlfriend Irina, James and Victoria were all waiting on me so we could leave Chicago. Things had been going so well. We had new weapons (and I, for one, was a big fan of the lobotomizer), and the city was still mostly safe. But eventually, people stopped showing up for work or patrols or whatever. And more zombies were turning up in their places. So we had been evacuating the city for a few weeks. We hadn't seen many people in that time. Chicago was officially lost.

"I know." I called back to them. I shouldered the lobo, and began walking after the others. It was fairly hard. I didn't want to leave my home, but it really wasn't safe here anymore.

Within four months, I was alone. Irina had been the first to die. She had gotten too close to a car that had a zombie in it. It had managed to grab and bite her. She just left us, so we wouldn't have to kill her. Laurent had been very depressed after that. We had just woken up one morning, and he was gone. James and Victoria had lasted quite a while, but eventually James was bitten as well. I was surprised when Victoria was three weeks later. She had always had this sense when it came to keeping safe.

I just began wandering. I was hoping to find survivors. There was nothing for a long time. I began wishing I had a gun. I'd be able to get myself out of this if I did.

After close to two years alone, I was debating with myself about who was the better captain: Kirk or Picard. That was when something small and definitely alive ran right into me. Whoever it was took a few steps back and we just stared at each other for a while. He or she was fairly small and dirty.

"My name's Edward." I said.

The other person just continued to stare at me.

"Are yo okay? Are you hurt?"

The person shook their head. "Alice. We need to go that way." she pointed north.

"Are you sure?"

Alice smiled and nodded.


	21. Chapter 11

**So I know I said I probably wouldn't be able to finish this story until the weekend, but something great happened today. The two best words in the world...as far as school kids go: SNOW DAY. So, one more chapter left (it's the epilogue). And I am so excited. Thank you everyone who read/reviewed/favorited/alerted this. And (some shameless promoting...) check out the story I'm writing with FlyingShadow09. It's called "The Difference" and we've got three chapters done and up to chapter 12 planned out!**

* * *

Edward and I stood side by side, mentally preparing for what we knew was coming. "We'll be okay." he said.

I nodded. "I know."

And then...it was...I never thought I would describe something like that as incredible, but it was. We moved together, protecting each other's backs. Duck, swing, shoot, run. Was it violent? Yes. But we were in sync. I don't know how long we were fighting, but I had used all my ammo and Edward had to take down the final three.

"Let's go." I said as the final one fell.

Without another word we started walking. We were tired, and I wouldn't be surprised to be mistaken for zombies ourselves, that's how we moved.

"How far do you think Alice and Jasper got?" I asked after a while.

"I dunno. I hope far."

"We don't stop until we catch up with them." I shocked myself by saying that, but I needed to know they were alright.

Edward nodded. "I know."

After another hour, I remembered the promise I made myself before we fought. _Well, now is as good a time as ever..._I reached out and grabbed Edward's hand.

He turned his head in my direction, smiled, and squeezed my hand tight. "I was wondering when you'd figure it out." he said, only slightly teasing.

"Shut up and kiss me." Wow. I did not mean to say that. But Edward didn't mind. In fact, he just did as he was told.

"Come on. We don't want them to get too far." he told me when he finally pulled away.

"Right."

It took us two days to catch up to Alice and Jasper. As much as we didn't want to stop, we did need to occasionally to catch a few hours of sleep.

"See, I told you they would be alright!" Alice exclaimed after she had hugged Edward and I.

"And I'll never doubt you again." Jasper replied.

The next three months were hard. We had to keep making detours to find ammo or food or something. And there were many more instances where we had to send Alice and Jasper ahead of us. But we managed every time.

"How much further?" Alice asked. She'd been asking that about once every hour since we reached the final few roads.

"I don't know." Edward sighed.

About an hour later, we crested a hill and froze. There, below us, was probably the most amazing sight any of us could imagine. It had a college look to it, just heavily fortified. There was a tall wall surrounding the campus, and we could see people walking along the wall. I reached out and took Edward's hand. Alice grabbed my other.

"I know they're there, Edward." I told him.

He nodded. "Right. Want to go meet my family?" he asked.

I looked over at him and saw he had a huge grin on his face. "Of course."

We started walking. A few people came out to meet us. They had a dog. We were made to pass it one by one, and nothing happened. It was odd. People hugged all of us, saying we were the first in months to arrive, and Edward was looking everywhere.

Finally, things calmed down, and we were lead to the dorm area. There were plenty of unused rooms.

Of course, that was how we met Edward's family. Esme and Carlisle were preparing two rooms for us, although Carlisle also had to do a physical check up on all of us. But Edward was so happy to see his cousin. And I was just excited as to how he introduced us. He pulled me up to his side and said, "Carlisle, Esme, this is Bella. The love of my life." And then he kissed me.


	22. Epilogue

**Well, this is it. The final chapter. I really hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it.**

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~*~Ten Years Later~*~

"Mommy, did that really happen?" I smiled as my daughter asked that question.

"Yes it did. It's how I met Daddy."

"Is that why we aren't allowed past the wall?" my son asked.

"Only until you're old enough to shoot." I replied. Edward had pitched a fit when I told him I would be teaching our children how to use a gun. Even after I told him all the other children had to learn as well.

Edward had spent the last ten years working with Carlisle so he could be a doctor. I had continued going out on raids, and just looking for people...until six years ago, when I got pregnant with our daughter, Vanessa. Two years after that we had our son, Connor.

"It's time for you guys to go to sleep, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy."

I turned the light off in their room and headed back to mine and Edward's. "So, how bad did Jasper freak out?" I asked when I saw him.

"Too much. Honestly, he's been looking after Ness and Connor enough to know that babies aren't that hard. And Alice wants you to come by tomorrow."

"Alright." I said as I got into bed with him. "What's the baby's name?"

"Mary."

"You do realize, the way things are going for us, she'll probably wind up with Connor."

Edward laughed. "Don't tell that to Jasper. He'll go into crazy dad mode."

"I know. I'll ask Alice and see what she says." I yawned. "Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, love."

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**Okay...I had to end it with a happy fluffy ending. They deserve it. **


End file.
